History Main / TheMinionMaster

!!Examples:

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* Summon-focused Necromancers in ''{{Diablo}} 2'' can end up with sixteen skeletons, one golem, and 20 revived monsters. Additionally, you can also hire a mercenary (and should, an act 2 nightmare merc can have Might and increase every minions damage.)

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* You play as a Minion Master in ''{{Pikmin}}'' and ''Pikmin 2''.

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* ''{{Sacrifice}}'' basically makes an RTS of Minion Masters fighting it out

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* While all three player classes in Geneforge can be this, the Shaper class is best suited for this.

* While all three player classes in ''Geneforge'' can be this, the Shaper class is best suited for this.

* The 'Mastermind' class in ''CityOfVillains''. An average Mastermind will end up with 6 minions to boss around, but depending on how you pick your skillsets, you can get as many as 8. (The 'Necromancer' main set has one extra in the form of a resurrected Shade, and the 'Darkness' secondary set has a minion of its own, the Dark Servant...)
** The Thugs' powerset's "Gang War" ability can temporarily summon an additional '''10''' weak minions, just in case things weren't crowded enough already.
*** Gang War can actually summon up to '''13''' minions...
** Similar to Gang War, Demon Summoning has access to "Hell on Earth", which can summon up to 10 "Living Hellfire" creatures in addition to the 6 demons normally available.
** This can get quite excessive on Mastermind-heavy teams. A full team of 8 masterminds all with 6 minions would be 56 characters running around, usually in very cramped hallways.
*** Now imagine all 8 being Robotics Masterminds, with the loud *TUNKA TUNKA TUNKA* of each individual minion.
*** Or all Thugs with a aforementioned Gang War ability using it at the same time with all minions already summoned.

A SubTrope of TheBeastmaster, a common variety of AnAdventurerIsYou, and the heroic inversion of the MookMaker (and occasionally the EvilOverlord). Whereas TheBeastmaster focuses on quality of minions, often restricting themselves to one or two (or at least [[{{Pokemon}} one at a time]]), TheMinionMaster focuses on sheer, undiluted numbers. This often makes for an unusual and difficult-to-balance character build- a character whose power comes from brutally outnumbering his opponents often leaves himself as the squishiest of {{Squishy Wizard}}s, and enemies either succumb quickly to the DeathOfAThousandCuts or perform a minion version of a TotalPartyWipe with area of effect attacks. They tend, of course, to be the keystone of their KeystoneArmy.

The key factor in determining if a particular character, class, unit or build is TheMinionMaster is this- Can the character outnumber a significant {{Mook}} swarm on his own? If the answer is yes, then the character is TheMinionMaster.

ZergRush often describes the most common combat method of TheMinionMaster. Because of their tactics, they often fall under AntiHero categorization, and often have to convince the player that DarkIsNotEvil. Can occasionally be {{Game Breaker}}s, occasionally {{Crutch Character}}s. If the minions are copies of the master, see DopplegangerAttack.

ZergRush often describes the most common combat method of TheMinionMaster. Because of their tactics, they often fall under AntiHero categorization, and often have to convince the player that DarkIsNotEvil. Can occasionally be {{Game Breaker}}s, occasionally {{Crutch Character}}s.

* One of your options when building a deck in ''MagicTheGathering'' is to be fill it with [[ZergRush hordes of cheaply-summoned teeny-tiny monsters to overwhelm one's opponent.]]

* The Necromancer unit from the Undead faction in ''{{Warcraft}} 3''. A couple of these guys could summon hordes of skeletons using corpses (obtained from a graveyard, meat wagon, dead unit, or even a dead critter) and {{mana}}. The skeletons were individually weak and short-lived, but the explosive ZergRush of that the Necromancers could create, summoning 2 skellies every 8 seconds, could turn a straight battle between initially equal forces into a rout, or at least force the enemy to run away. Thankfully, as of ''Frozen Throne'', mass dispelling abilities were available to all factions, so all it took to clear a skeleton horde was the correct unit (Priest/Wisp/Destroyer/Spirit Walker) and a bit of micro.
** Some [[HeroUnit heroes]] could become TheMinionMaster using the correct abilities. Like the Death Knight, who could raise 6 short-lived but invincible minions using its ultimate ability, Animate Dead, or the Night Elf Warden, who could ''summon a [[TheMinionMaster minion master]]'', the Avatar of Vengeance, who then spammed further, weaker summons called Spirits of Vengeance. And the Keeper of the Grove, whose Force of Nature ability summoned an extra [[WhenTreesAttack Treant]] for every point invested in it after the first. Or the Firelord, whose Lava Spawns would multiply over time if not killed quickly. Or the Dark Ranger, who would turn any unit she killed into a buffed-up skeleton. Yeah, basically, Blizzard loves this trope.
* Focusing on Charm skills in ''{{Torchlight}}'' can make your character into one of these.
* Most summon spells in ''DungeonsAndDragons'' can be used to summon a swarm of lower-level creatures instead of one high-level creature.
** ''DungeonsAndDragons'' also has the hordeificer artificer build that uses the large number of constructs.
** [[strike:Thankfully]] Sadly, this has been done away with in 4th ed; while you can conceivably clutter up the room with a zillion summoned monsters, you can only control one of them at a time. Gone are the days of commanding legions of undead, squadrons of angels, and hordes of demons.
*** This editor is uncertain about rules for mass combat in D&D, in which legions of undead etc would act as a single unit under your command. However, one very good reason for the switch was the tendency towards "I attack, then each of my million zombie minions attacks". Aside from the time involved in watching a million zombies attack, it's a bit underwhelming to kill the villain with a DeathOfAThousandCuts like that.
** Actually, some summoned creatures (like demons) will act on their own if you don't give them any commands, so you can have multiple monsters acting at once. You still can't summon as many of them as in previous editions, though.

** Currently they can only have a maximum of 10-12 minions at any given time, but they can be replenished very quickly (which is good, because they decay very quickly once they've been around a while). In the past however, there was no limit to how many minions a necromancer could summon and control, you could have massive hordes of 50+ minions if you and your teammates had enough AoE healing to keep that many alive.

* The Overlord from ''{{Overlord}}'' (oddly enough) is one of these but he's still a very strong character in his own right once sufficiently powered up.
* The player in ''{{Fable}} 2'' can be one as well with the ''Raise Dead'' spell. At higher levels you can summon six ghosts that are pretty weak but if you've killed a couple of people already these ghosts get stronger.
* The Summoner class from ''HellgateLondon'' is this trope. They can maintain one Demon "pet" and any number of elementals which come in 5 flavors as long as they have enough mana for them all.
* ''SluggyFreelance'''s Minion Master is a subversion, since he had no minions until Torg volunteered himself, Sasha, and Bun-bun. And even so, he's been easily manipulated into rubber-stamping Torg's pursuit of his own agenda.
* Marona from ''PhantomBrave'' and Zetta from ''MakaiKingdom'' are this.
* Sacred featured the Vampiress, who could in vampire mode, turn creatures into undead. When she reverted, they died. However, with careful timing the running of the spell on the body could complete after she turned back to normal, which meant that the creature was not subject to destruction until the character changed forms again. What really made it fit the trope though was that the character following could turn enemies into the same state when killed, though not always. Thus a Vampiress could relatively quickly amass a huge army that, because of the way the change worked, potentially turn dragons into undead minions. Such a sight is naturally impressive.
* The BFT Carrier from ''[[BubbleTanks Bubble Tanks 2]]'' can summon 6 attack drones that shoot its unlucky victims and burst them in a matter of seconds. It's also [[MightyGlacier rather large and slow]].

* You play as a Minion Master in Pikmin and Pikmin 2. To a certain extent, Captain Olimar is one of these in SuperSmashBros.

* Summoners in the {{Roguelike}} T.o.M.E. Kill an animal, and you can make a totem out of it's corpse. Kill an {{ExplosiveBreeder}}, make a totem out of it, and the children of the summon are friendly towards you - and don't cost you. Filling entire levels with your pets is easy, but considered cheating.
* King Dedede summons an army of Waddle Dees, Doos, and Gordos to swarm the stage for his final smash in [[SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros. Brawl]].
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* One of your options when building a deck in MagicTheGathering is to be fill it with [[ZergRush hordes of cheaply-summoned teeny-tiny monsters to overwhelm one's opponent.]]
* Summon-focused Necromancers in ''{{Diablo}} 2'' can end up with sixteen skeletons, one golem, and 20 revives". Additionally you can also hire a mercenary (and should, an act 2 nightmare merc can have Might and increase every minions damage.)
** Which is only so after the newest patch. Before 1.08 I believe could you have 20 skeleton warriors, 20 skeleton mages, one golem and 20 revives. And that doesn't counts in the +skill bonuses you get from equipment which could push these numbers even higher! No wonder that the Necromancer was often seen as a lagspiker.
*** Note that while pre 1.08 Necromancer had far more skeletons, they also became next to useless as the game progressed. Current Necromancers are accompanied by a smaller group of far more efficient undead minions.

* The Overlord from ''{{Overlord}}'' (oddly enough) is one of these but he's still a very strong character in his own right.

* Carriers in ''{{Starcraft}}''. In addition to its cloaking abilities, Carriers send out up to a half dozen tiny, lightning-quick Interceptor drones each to pepper any enemy that comes near.

A SubTrope of TheBeastmaster, a common variety of AnAdventurerIsYou, and the heroic inversion of the MookMaker (and occasionally the EvilOverlord). Whereas TheBeastmaster focuses on quality of minions, often restricting themselves to one or two (or at least [[Pokemon one at a time]]), TheMinionMaster focuses on sheer, undiluted numbers. This often makes for an unusual and difficult-to-balance character build- a character whose power comes from brutally outnumbering his opponents often leaves himself as the squishiest of {{Squishy Wizard}}s, and enemies either succumb quickly to the DeathOfAThousandCuts or perform a minion version of a TotalPartyWipe with area of effect attacks. They tend, of course, to be the keystone of their KeystoneArmy.

A SubTrope of TheBeastmaster, a common variety of AnAdventurerIsYou, and the heroic inversion of the MookMaker (and occasionally the EvilOverlord). Whereas TheBeastmaster focuses on quality of minions, often restricting themselves to one or two (or at least one at a time), TheMinionMaster focuses on sheer, undiluted numbers. This often makes for an unusual and difficult-to-balance character build- a character whose power comes from brutally outnumbering his opponents often leaves himself as the squishiest of {{Squishy Wizard}}s, and enemies either succumb quickly to the DeathOfAThousandCuts or perform a minion version of a TotalPartyWipe with area of effect attacks. They tend, of course, to be the keystone of their KeystoneArmy.